How Amazon Improves Its Data Centre Water Efficiency

Data centre cooling demands could account for a quarter of water consumed across the AI supply chain by 2030.

Amazon Web Services has published efficiency metrics showing its operations use less water per unit of compute than industry benchmarks.

According to the International Energy Agency, total water consumption across the AI supply chain is projected to climb to roughly 1.2 trillion litres by 2030.

This represents an increase from about 560 billion litres in 2023. Cooling accounts for roughly a quarter of this total, while around two-thirds is linked to primary energy supply.

Amazon, which operates one of the largest data centre networks through its Amazon Web Services division, reported that its global data centre operations used 0.12 litres of water per kilowatt hour in 2025.

The company states that the industry average is 0.84 litres per kilowatt-hour. This positions Amazon's facilities as more than seven times as water-efficient as the industry standard.

Kara Hurst, CSO at Amazon, says the efficiency gains stem from long-term investment.

"We've been working on water for a long time and that's helped us gain efficiency," says Kara.

"It's also taught us that solutions don't lie in one single practice, innovation or idea."

Ambient air cooling methods

Amazon cools most of its data centres with natural cool air, which requires no water. The system pulls in outside air, runs it past servers to absorb heat and pumps it back outside.

Joern Tinnemeyer, a data centre engineering leader at Amazon, compares the approach to residential ventilation.

"It's kind of like in your house," explains Joern. "It's a nice summer morning. It's not that hot out. I'm gonna open up my windows rather than turn the air conditioner on and just let the breeze pull through."

Water is introduced only when temperatures become particularly high.

The system sprays water onto an absorbent medium that Amazon water specialist Beau Schilz describes as "a sophisticated, giant sponge". Hot air flows through this material and as the water evaporates, it pulls heat from the air.

The evaporative process cools the temperature by five to ten degrees. This approach allows Amazon to minimise water consumption while maintaining operational temperatures.

Higher temperature server operations

Amazon is also increasing the operating temperatures of its data centres. This adjustment reduces the hours when water-based cooling is needed.

Sergio Loureiro, Vice President of Global Datacentres Operations at AWS, says the company has raised temperature thresholds its servers can tolerate.

"We've raised the temperature thresholds our servers can tolerate, reducing the hours water is needed while always ensuring the health and safety of our teams," says Sergio.

For AI workloads, Amazon deploys closed-loop liquid cooling that recirculates fluid without increasing water consumption. The company also invests in local infrastructure upgrades and works with utilities.

Sergio adds that Amazon applies AI tools to help communities beyond its operations optimise water use. "We're not just a water user," says Sergio. "We're actually a partner in building more resilient water systems."

Industry water efficiency targets

Google announced a commitment in June 2026 to return more water to local systems than its data centres use by 2030. The company allocated US$17m of funding for watershed protection projects alongside this target.

Google notes that data centre water use accounts for less than 1% of the volume Americans use for lawn irrigation each year. Amazon similarly notes that the global data centre industry accounts for less than 0.5% of total industrial water use worldwide.

Amazon is aiming to be net water positive by 2030. Kara says the approach involves multiple strategies.

"We focus on multiple approaches - from data centre operations to investing in community replenishment projects - because making a real impact requires holistic thinking," says Kara.

"And while we're doing this in the best way possible, we also know we have to keep innovating - because the world keeps changing."

Underwater data centre operations

HiCloud Technology and China Communications Construction, a state-owned company, launched the world's first wind-powered underwater data centre in June 2026.

The Shanghai Lingang undersea data centre demonstration project has a capacity of 24MW.

The facility is located more than 10km off the coast of Shanghai and 10 metres below the water's surface. It is powered by a nearby offshore wind farm.

The data centre needs around 80% of the power of a land-based unit. This reduction is due to lower energy demands from being cooled by the surrounding seawater.